Lookatvietnam – Thousands of people flocked to the opening ceremony of this year’s Spring Yen Tu Pagoda Festival in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on Feb. 4, the tenth day of the first lunar month.

Thousands of people flocked to the opening ceremony of this year’s Spring Yen Tu Pagoda Festival.

Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns and followers and visitors offered incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293, and joined the opening prayer.

Yen Tu welcomed 150,000 visitors during the first nine days of this year’s first lunar month.

Yen Tu mountain is located about 50km from Hạ Long City. The route of the pilgrimage, which winds from the foot of the mountain to its highest peak, is almost 30km. Dong Pagoda, which sits atop the mountain’s highest peak, is more than a kilometre above sea level.

The area’s beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along with the ancient pagodas and hermitages that are dotted around, are said to have been the reason that King Tran Nhan Tong passed the throne to his son so that he could devote his life to living as a Buddhist monk at Yen Tu mountain. Whilst there, he founded the Truc Lam meditation sect, which has led to Yen Tu being recognised as the country’s leading centre for Buddhism.

VietNamNet/VNA